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Karsa Orlong

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Everything posted by Karsa Orlong

  1. It looks just like the covers of The Crippled God and Blood and Bone, just with a different background
  2. Yeah, you'd need to read Shards beforehand. It's nowhere near as good, but it's a pretty short and easy read - and if you get the omnibus it makes sense Apparently I've read all of or part of 50 of them
  3. Great haul, Devi! I hope things get better soon
  4. # 20 Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga Book 2) by Lois McMaster Bujold 1991 - Baen paperback - 336 pages Thoughts: Barrayar follows on immediately after Shards of Honor, without pause, so I don't think I can post a blurb for this one, or even go into much detail about the plot, so as not to spoil the end of the previous book. Suffice to say, now the story moves to the planet of Barrayar where Cordelia, cast in the role of outsider, has to come to terms with Barrayaran culture and tradition, and the responsibilities that have suddenly been thrust upon her. Little does she know the dangers that lie ahead. Barrayar, following the series' internal chronological order, is the second novel in the series, and the second novel included in the omnibus edition called Cordelia's Honor. It wasn't the second novel in the series that Bujold wrote, however. From reading her afterword, and from various other sources, she actually started writing Shards/Barrayar as one novel, and had already written half of Barrayar in the early 80s when she realised that the book was getting too long (she was working on the assumption that editors will pick up unsolicited manuscripts that are shorter before any others) and so stopped writing, went back to find a natural ending point for what turned out to be Shards of Honor, and eventually submitted and sold that novel. In the meantime, she had written a further two Vorkosigan novels (The Warrior's Apprentice and Ethan of Athos), which she also sold, and then went on to write Falling Free and The Vor Game (for which she a Nebula and a Hugo award, respectively). It was only then that she returned to finish Barrayar. It was, I think, something of a stroke of genius. Her writing style, her plotting, her characterisation - everything about this book is several leagues above what she did in Shards. This is the sort of science fiction novel, I think, that those normally wary of the genre will enjoy, and genre-regulars like me can appreciate for its refreshing approach. Again, it's told in a tight third-person view, from Cordelia's perspective, and her character development is a joy, as are most of those around her. Yes, some of them verge on stereotype, especially the bad guys, but this is all about Cordelia and her immediate relationships. Cordelia is the most convincing female protagonist I've come across in science fiction a long time. Aral perhaps spends a bit too much time in the background, but it is hard not to like him or sympathise with him when he's front and centre. Other characters like Koudelka and Droushnakovi get ample screen time and become winning characters in their own right. Aral's father, Piotr, provides some scenes of crackling tension. Best of all, apart from Cordelia, is poor, tortured Bothari, who grows from the hired muscle into a fully-fledged character so naturally I didn't even realise it was happening. Sometimes in sf the authors are too busy being clever to develop their characters properly. Bujold's characters give the novel both heart and soul. Character-wise, it's the best sf novel I've read since A Deepness in the Sky and A Fire Upon the Deep. You don't need a degree in astro-physics to understand this story because it's a very human tale, but it's also a book with brains. The plot clicks together like clockwork and it seems to fulfil everything that it sets out to do, and it's central theme - that of the price of becoming a parent - is one that will resonate with many, I suspect. Bujold's worldbuilding is as subtle as her characterisation, the science a vital part of the story, rather than vice versa. It may, on the face of it, seem like a novel that's full of the tropes of the genre, and yet I thought Bujold was clever enough to take those tropes and use them as a framework to let her characters breathe. It's a book that seems in cruise control for its first 150 pages before a particular event turns everything on its head. From that point on I found it tense and thrilling, perfectly paced and full of brilliant dialogue. Barrayar became Bujold's second book to win the Hugo award for 'Best Novel', meaning she won it two years running. It's my favourite sf read so far this year. I thought it was fantastic. 9/10
  5. It's by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle - it's another one that's on my wishlist. I've read a couple of their other books and they were really good
  6. I've found that with a couple of her books, too (the last Farseer book - gads, it goes on and on and on - and the first Liveship book, specifically). Seems to be quite common in fantasy, unfortunately. It's like they've taken all this time creating a world so they feel the need to spend much longer in it than they need to
  7. Very interesting review, Tim Sounds like he's borrowed that idea from Iain M. Banks's Use of Weapons. I quite like it, if it's done well
  8. Fascinating review, Laura, definitely sounds intriguing But . . . 4/5 - told you!
  9. Yeah, if I get that far into the series I think I'll be getting those particular entries on Kindle
  10. I look forward to hearing what you think of them - I haven't read them yet
  11. Glad you enjoyed The Fall of Hyperion, Ian! Awesome books Do you think you'll go on to read the Endymion novels?
  12. And echoing VF's Sheri Tepper recommendation, Grass is very good.
  13. Oh yes. It's a classic, as is his other best known novel, The Demolished Man
  14. Yeah it's a bit of a pain, I suppose, even putting it on a Kindle or something. But hey ho, it's free for anyone who can handle it
  15. There's a thread about it on the Malazan forums. They don't seem to like it much but, interestingly, someone pointed out that you can download it for free from his website: http://brandonsanderson.com/books/warbreaker/warbreaker/warbreaker-rights-and-downloads/ this being the final version: http://www.brandonsanderson.com/drafts/warbreaker/Warbreaker_hardcover_1st_ed.pdf
  16. Love the bookshelves. I wish I had room for so many books!
  17. Thanks If anyone's interested, here's a list of the 'Vorkosigan Saga' novels and novellas (in italics), with the applicable omnibus edition shown in brackets. Falling Free (Miles, Mutants & Microbes) Shards of Honor (Cordelia’s Honor) Barrayar (Cordelia’s Honor) The Warrior's Apprentice (Young Miles) "The Mountains of Mourning" (Young Miles) The Vor Game (Young Miles) Cetaganda (Miles, Mystery & Mayhem) Ethan of Athos (Miles, Mystery & Mayhem) "Labyrinth" (Miles, Mystery & Mayhem) "The Borders of Infinity" (Miles Errant) Brothers in Arms (Miles Errant) Mirror Dance (Miles Errant) Memory Komarr (Miles in Love) A Civil Campaign (Miles in Love) "Winterfair Gifts" (Miles in Love) Diplomatic Immunity (Miles, Mutants & Microbes) Captain Vorpatril's Alliance CryoBurn Not sure at the moment whether or not I'd be prepared to walk around with a book called 'Miles in Love' We'll see if the series maintains my interest that far Not all of the omnibus editions have the same cover style, which is strange and a bit annoying. Falling Free is shown first because it pre-dates the main series but is a totally separate story set in the same universe. Bujold herself recommends reading it later on, hence its inclusion in the sixth of the omnibus editions. Her commentary and reading order suggestions/explanations can be found here.
  18. I like your optimism. He'll drive it out of you sooner or later
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